Lunch Report, Monday, April 12th

Hi guys,

I’m writing this before lunch today, as I’m not sure whether I’m going to do lunch today. Actually, I’m still recovering from dinner last night. As I’m in sort of a food hangover, I hope you’ll pardon me for this rambling. Given my present condition, I’d rather report on yesterday’s events than those of today.

Had a good outing yesterday with my wife Amanda and son John, visiting the Huntington Library http://www.huntington.org the former home of railroad tycoon Henry Huntington. Good thing for Mandy to get out, as she’d had an ovary removed a week ago due to a dermoid which had engulfed it. I’ve even got crystal clear photos of the thing, prior- and post-removal. The photos of the dermoid are labeled, but I can’t make out the doctor’s scribbled captions of the other organs in the vicinity and can’t remember most of what the she’d said about them. I do recall that Mandy’s liver, as the doctor cheerfully reported, is “beautiful.” Sure looks like it in the pictures. I suggested that in the event some unfortunate circumstance relieves Mandy of the need for her liver, it should be donated to Iron Chef Morimoto to create a delightful pate in her memorial. I doubt my liver would make good pate.

Anyway, we started the day with a big breakfast at Polly’s http://www.pollyspies.com which has been an Orange County staple for over 30 years. Looks like a retirement home, vaguely like the Golden Girl’s condo in style, but it has some good eats. I’d say we burned a lot of calories walking the grounds with its many themed gardens, as well as the art gallery, museum and library. Naturally, we needed a good dinner, and John was pushing to go to Chevy’s http://www.chevys.com a small chain of Mexican restaurants out here with surprisingly good food.

When it comes to food, I have little self-control. Loads of chips and salsa, then a guacamole appetizer requiring still more chips, followed by a big, fat, sizzling order of carnitas fajitas. Now, 10-year-old John doesn’t order off the kiddie menu, and of course he couldn’t finish his steak fajitas. Naturally, I did, and I had plenty of time to think about that between 2 and 4am while I couldn’t sleep.

Which brings me to the present: still recovering from my culinary binge, approaching high noon and finding little appeal in lunch, and pondering my behavior. Will I pig out at Chevy’s again? Certainly. Will I regret it again? Undoubtedly. Who amongst you is prone to gorging your gut? What foods do you find it hard to stop chowing on until you’re in need of a wheelchair, if not a stretcher?

Tomorrow I’ll be in better shape, and then I’d like to discuss contest ideas. I’m thinking of stuff where folks who use our gear, BBE and/or G&L, do… something… for a chance to win stuff. Let’s pick that up tomorrow, but in the meantime, put your thinking caps on, if you haven’t eaten too much to fit into your thinking caps.

Dave

My wife & I had dinner at Chevy's Saturday night, because our daughter was sleeping over at a friends house. And our daughter is not a fan of Chevy's. Actually, she is pretty damn picky & does not each much, in terms of variety.

As for what gets me going? You don't want to be near me when I eat baby back ribs. It gets down right disturbing. Fingers go missing. But the funniest is my MIL who has a similar thing for lobster. It's kind of like watching some sort of manic-depressive state change. And it is also dangerous.

The other food addiction I have is chocolate, and I have to almost treat it like booze to an alcoholic. I just can't eat it or I will major binge on it and over do it and make myself sick.

Take care Darth,

edg

Italian food!
I can eat my weight in Italian. I usually eat pretty sensible portions until you bring out the Italian, and then it's "on"

I can also eat pounds and pounds of crawfish as well. Yum!

Contest!...Yes sir!

I'm always a sucker with little or no self-control for great Mexican food myself.....that and Italian, especially great Chicago-style pizza.

Most of have a weakness of some sort when it comes to food that we like. Tonight Ginny made a Ham/Barley soup from a Hambone that was leftover from Easter. She didn't have to ask me if I liked it as my performance spoke clearly. I am good until noon tomorrow!-- Darwin

Well, guys, I have recovered well. Under peer pressure, I did do lunch after all. Chinese. Moo shoo pork (however it's spelled), which is fairly light.

Of all the stuff you guys posted, Mexican, Italian (pizza slays me), ribs... I would really like to have a go at Ginny's Ham & Barley soup!

Gotta go now, 'cause John's insisting I show him how to play a Weezer song.

See you guys tomorrow!

Dave

I'm with you there Darth. Sometimes I'm still 'cursing' my mom for lecturing me that 'whatever you have on your plate needs to get finished'. Means that when I go to an Italian or Mexican restaurant, I usually, oops make that always, finish their rather large quantities of food. But still, it is usually not the food or pigging out that causes me trouble. Don't exactly know what it is (sugar content?) with the margaritas at Jaliscos and/or Azteca, but I always feel hyperactive in the middle of the night. Don't have it with margaritas served at other Mexican restaurants. But both Italian as well as Mexican is such nice comfort food ...

But lets not forget the fine quality of seafood one can eat here in the Pacific Northwest. Last Saturday my wife and I had dinner at Ray's Boathouse, close to the Shilshole Marina. Looking out across the Puget Sound watching the sun set behind the Olympics. Always spectacular! And all that while enjoying Penn Cove mussels, Dungeness crab, Colombia river king salmon and a bottle of Chinook winery Chardonnay. Oh, and a leg of King Crab. Yum!! And to finish it off, creme brulee for the wife and a port sampler (3 ports from different wineries and ages) paired with handmade chocolates for me. Yum again!

Looking forward to your other reports!

Hey Shawn...has the price of crawfish dropped much in Baton Rouge? A guy I work with in Lafayette told me..."If you see one on de side of de road, you bettah pick dat crawfish up cuz it's worth about 50 cents!"

I am going to NOLA and back tomorrow...how I wish I was going on Wednesday, because my stomach would require me to stop at Middendorf's.

For me it's also Mexican and Pizza,
I 'm a veggie so it's not always easy to find dishes when I'm out to stuff myself
(I can only eat so much salad), but I can easily find myself overstuffed to satisfaction
with a few enchiladas and good mole' sauce...not to mention all the guac, chips and salsa...mmmmm.
I love the east indian sauces too, I've been trying to recreate some of them at home with some success.
I do miss the meat-eating days of gorging on french dips...but I'm sticking to my decision I made years ago to be skinny and finicky .

Jos... I grew up on the original Jalisco's by the Seattle center...good stuff , and I also find myself energetic after the requisite post Jalisco's nap. Maybe it's the onions?
There's another good place on madison that I like ; Cactus ...not quite as heavy as Jalisco's but really tasty.

Glad Mandy's okay.

My biggest food weakness is anything in the bread group. I just can't stop. Bagels, baguettes, sourdough, croissants, I'm terrible. I'm even worse if there's some good butter or some other tasty spread around.

I'm also partial to chocolate containing roasted nuts (Peanut M&Ms, Hershey's Almond kisses, etc.)

Looking forward to the week, Dave! - ed

Hey Shawn...has the price of crawfish dropped much in Baton Rouge? A guy I work with in Lafayette told me..."If you see one on de side of de road, you bettah pick dat crawfish up cuz it's worth about 50 cents!"

I am going to NOLA and back tomorrow...how I wish I was going on Wednesday, because my stomach would require me to stop at Middendorf's.

Nope....still pretty pricey here! They need to drop soon.
I had some a few weeks back, and they were tasty.

Yumm...Middendorf's!